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4 Ways To Feel Better About Social Media

"Comparison is the thief of joy" is an expression I use often. Despite these reminders, however, I still have to confess to falling into the trap of comparing myself to others. For a blogger and an aspiring artist, social media can be a wonderful thing, but lately, I've caught myself comparing everything to that of others - my art, my photography skills, my lifestyle and, of course, my appearance. What's more, I also share my work and base its worth on the validation I receive, or the lack thereof.
I know I'm far from alone. Studies find that social media can increase stress and anxiety, and lower self-esteem. Unfortunately, you can be aware of the problem but still susceptible to it; social media can show us a beautiful world of perfectly curated lifestyles and unrealistic expectations, and it can be difficult not to internalise them. All this can leave you feeling a little overwhelmed and down. I've already written about the perils of comparing yourself to others and unrealistic beauty standards, but today I'm going to share 4 easy ways you can start feeling better about social media again.

Limit Social Media Consumption

Do you ever find yourself mindlessly scrolling through Instagram without even realizing you'd opened the app? I'm totally guilty! Social media has a way of becoming such a reflexive habit. The first step to using social media the right way is to become aware that you're doing it. Try to set a time limit for how long you want to spend on social media each day, and resist the urge to check outside that time.

Minimalize Your Feeds

Practice a little social media minimalism. There are so many amazing accounts out there, so we all constantly follow new things. The problem is that your feed soon becomes overwhelming, and you have to scroll much longer to find the content that's relevant to you. Personally, if I don't reach the end of the new content, I develop a serious case of FOMO (fear of missing out). To spend less time on social media, unfollow accounts that no longer interest you, are too time-consuming, or just don't make you feel the best. I do this at least monthly; there's no shame in saying so long to an account that is no longer what you're looking for! It will leave so much more space for content you love.

Take A Break

If you really can't help mindlessly scrolling but long for a mental break, try taking a short hiatus from social media. Most accounts can be disabled temporarily, so there's no harm in trying a week without it. You're bound to benefit from the vacation, and who knows? Maybe you'll decide to make it permanent.

Focus On Real Life

My most important tip is to focus on the real life you have in front of you. Watching everyone else's fun is no good; get out there and distract yourself with some real-world experiences. Read a good book, take yourself out for a nice lunch, go for a jog, or spend time with your loved ones. It may not be photo-shoot worthy, but that doesn't make it any less worthwhile.

Do you have a love/hate relationship with social media? What are your tips for feeling better about it?